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Sure, you can let retailers take care of your mailings when you order online. But if, like me, you enjoy the more artful touch of wrapping presents with festive paper and writing gift tags, you'll be doing lots of shipping this year.
It seems straightforward, but like any chore, there are always things you can learn from pros to make it a smoother, more efficient process.
Before we get to those, though, a reminder: Don't postpone package assembly and mailing for much longer.
Kim Frum, spokeswoman for the Postal Service, says its busiest time starts two weeks before Christmas, with Dec. 14 to Dec. 21 predicted to be the busiest mailing, shipping and delivery week. The longer you wait to send your package, Frum says, the more limited - and often more expensive - your options will be.
Both the Postal Service and UPS offer details on deadlines and pricing plus information on restricted or prohibited items for shipping on their websites: usps.com and ups.com.
One thing to keep in mind: "No more brown paper packages tied up with string," Frum says. "Your grandmother probably wrapped her packages in paper and tied them with twine." Today, that's a no-no, because twine can get caught in conveyor belts and machinery, and the thin paper can rip.
Here are ways to make sending - and receiving - your holiday packages go smoothly this year.
• Create a shipping station.
Gather shipping supplies in a designated spot, so you don't waste time later. You'll need corrugated boxes in various sizes, unless you're using boxes provided by your carrier. Stock up on cushioning materials such as kraft paper, newspapers (print does live on), bubble wrap, air pillows and/or shredded paper. (This year, the Container Store has crinkle-cut paper shreds in a mix of red and green, according to Container Store buyer Laura Rainey.)
Three-inch packing tape, mailing labels and scissors should complete your supply list.
• Choose the right box.
To be cost-efficient and to protect your box's contents, look for the box that most perfectly fits your items. "The less movement of the materials or items in the box, the better," says Ken Bautista, owner of the UPS Store at the Wharf in Washington, D.C. "If you can use a smaller box, it will take up less room in the vehicle, and the cost to ship will be lower. The cost of sending things is based on three things: location, weight and size of the box."
If, like me, you have frequently ordered online during the pandemic and have a stash of boxes ready to reuse, examine them carefully. Experts say not to reuse boxes that have already been shipped several times, because they weaken in the process.
"A box that has been used three or four times becomes compromised," Bautista says. "Boxes are damaged by the normal wear and tear of the environment, and sometimes, they are delivered in a downpour, losing their shape." Be careful not to overpack one box with heavy items, because your box could burst at the seams; divide it into two packages if needed.
Most liquor boxes have thin walls and aren't good for mailing.
For baked goods, ensure your containers don't roll around in the box, resulting in a gift of cookie crumbs. The Container Store sells a 10-inch square cookie tin shipper box that fits an 8 1/2-inch tin perfectly to keep gingerbread Santas from being damaged in transit.
• Cushion gifts with packing materials.
"If you want things to arrive safely, leave space for extra cushioning," Frum says. Whether you use crumpled newspaper or bubble wrap, stuff your packages so nothing moves around. For photographs, Frum says, take the glass out of the frames and wrap it separately. For vases and other glass items, stuff them with plenty of cushioning, both inside and out.
Bubble wrap might crush your standard ribbon bows, so the Container Store suggests using more wire-edged ribbon or tulle, which can be fluffed out, or cording. It also sells a springy tubular ribbon designed to resist the squished look after shipping.
• Tape the box properly.
Use good-quality, three-inch-wide professional packing tape, whether brown or clear. Experts do not recommend using masking tape, duct tape or standard Scotch tape, none of which are as durable.
Bautista's advice is to tape on six seams - down the middle and the two side seams on both the top and bottom of the box. First, put a strip of tape down the middle seam of the box without leaving a gap, then tape the outer edges; do the same on the bottom of the box.
Frum takes it one step further. "After you put the tape on, run a credit card or your fingernail down the edge of every flat surface to make sure it's adhered and won't bubble up," she advises.
• Label carefully - both inside and out.
Make sure you have the correct address, and never guess at the ZIP code. You can look it up online and even get the ZIP code plus four if you don't have it. If your handwriting is bad (you know who you are), use a computer to print a label.
Frum suggests putting a card with the "to" and "from" address inside every package. "If your label gets torn off or the box breaks open, there's an idea of where to send the package."
If you are reusing a box, remove all old labels and bar codes. If you can't peel them off, cover them up. Failure to do this may delay your package.
• Use care when opening.
Have you ever taken a slice out of a piece of clothing packed near the top of a box while opening a package with a knife?
Bautista recommends a box cutter as the most efficient way to open boxes. But some people, especially those with children, may fear the razor-sharp blade, so many choose to use scissors, letter openers or knives. His method is to slit open the sides of a box first, then slightly lift up the middle before you slice down, so you don't puncture or nick anything packed near the top.
"Some people take pens and run them down the center of the box and struggle to force it open," he says. "Some people use their keys. Others just use their bare hands."
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